Nexus: Cross-Border Center for Investigative Reporting
NEXUS is a cross-border initiative using investigative journalism to counter Kremlin influence globally. The programme supports journalists and civil society in exposing disinformation, coercion, and interference.
About the Programme
The project Nexus: Cross-Border Centre for Investigative Reporting aims to investigate and counter the Kremlin’s malign influence, including economic coercion, disinformation, cyber-attacks, election interference, and support of proxy conflicts.
The International Republican Institute and the Berlin-based NGO Journalists in Need Network (JINN) provides training, mentorship, and finance support for media projects on awareness-raising campaigns, investigative reporting, media content production.
The programme serves media professionals, investigative reporters, and CSO representatives from Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Sub-Saharan Africa, and the Western Balkans.
Events and agenda
The program includes trainings and webinars across Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Mongolia, and Kenya—focused on countering foreign authoritarian influence through in-depth reporting, public awareness initiatives, and transnational partnerships.
Conference
Building a Global Democratic Nexus to Counter Foreign Authoritarian Influence
November, 2023
Tirana, Albania
Training
Countering Foreign Malign Influence in the Western Balkans
Two-day in-person training on investigative reporting for independent journalists, media representatives, and CSOs from the Western Balkans, in cooperation with senior Bosnian, Russian, US, and German media professionals and investigative researchers.
February, 2024
Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Webinar and training
Countering Foreign Malign Influence in Kazakhstan and Mongolia
Two-day training in Ulaanbaatar (April 2024) for journalists, media workers, and CSOs from Kazakhstan and Mongolia. Covers authoritarian influence strategies, case studies, and supports development of media campaigns and cross-border investigations.
April 27-28, 2024
Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
Training
Countering Foreign Malign Influence in the Sub-Saharan Africa
The webinar covers strategies and case studies of the Kremlin’s malign influence in Sub-Saharan Africa. Independent journalists, media representatives, and CSOs from the target regions are invited to participate and pitch their domestic and cross-border media projects and campaigns.
February, 2024
Nairobi, Kenia
Content Grants Application
The NEXUS project invites media professionals, investigative researchers, and CSO representatives from Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Sub-Saharan Africa, and the Western Balkans to apply with individual and cross-border project concepts for media content grants. Projects should focus on foreign malign influence in one or more target regions, including economic coercion, money laundering and corruption, disinformation, election interference, and the support of proxy conflicts, among others.
Selected media projects will be awarded between $1,000 and $10,000, each through micro-purchase contracts to develop a short-term independent media product that meets regional media needs. Illustrative examples include—but are not limited to—short audio or video products, podcasts, social media posts, text articles for print and/or online media, and mini-documentaries.
Application deadlines
- Training in Sarajevo (participants from West Balkans): February 7, 2024
- Webinar and training in Ulaanbaatar (participants from Kazakhstan and Mongolia): April 8, 2024
- Webinar for participants from the Sub-Saharan Africa: May 15, 2024
- Deadline for financial and mentorship support application: May 31, 2024
Eligibility criteria
- The programme is open to teams of journalists, media organisations, and CSOs from Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Sub-Saharan Africa, and the West Balkans.
- Applications may be submitted by individuals or teams based in one of the target regions or operating in exile.
- Strong commitment to editorial independence and high standards of journalistic ethics is required.
- Applicants must not be connected to a political party, political institution, or businesses/individuals sanctioned by the EU or US government.
- For media content grants: applicants must have published media articles, social media posts, and/or investigative reports within the past 12 months.
Partners
